


Manic Pixie Gilbert (The 'Kiku Needs Coffee' Remix)

by adamant-cap (lokkelaufeysdottir)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anxiety Attacks, Exams, First Kiss, Fluff, Human Names Used, Ice Cream, M/M, Mistletoe, Sass, or gelato
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 04:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5571022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lokkelaufeysdottir/pseuds/adamant-cap
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College AU, Kiku is an overstressed, underdressed and unimpressed protagonist. Gilbert is his manic pixie dream girl. Emphasis on the manic. Kiku finally buys a clue once he gets some sleep and coffee.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Manic Pixie Gilbert (The 'Kiku Needs Coffee' Remix)

**Author's Note:**

> For [Erin](http://www.bluemoon4601.tumblr.com) and the [aphsecretsanta](http://www.aphsecretsanta.tumblr.com) rare pair exchange! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!  
> Also special thanks to my beta, Kalaert, who provided so much support!

Finals week was always stressful in high school. Kiku had no idea why he thought it got easier to deal with in college. Here he was on a Sunday, buried under books and going out of his mind. He was tired, it was late and he hadn’t eaten yet since it was imperative that he finish the lecture notes from last month (even though Feliciano’s handwriting was chicken scratch).  
  
Also, whoever said classical music made it easier to study was a liar. It was distracting. Any sort of noise was distracting at this point. He was glad Feli had dragged Ludwig out for a movie. Come to think of it, they’d been gone for about five hours now.  
  
All the better; Feliciano was rather annoying at times, and Ludwig always hovered.  
  
Suddenly Gilbert, Ludwig’s older brother, came bursting through the door yelling about brother bonding time. Kiku’s book fell to the floor as he startled. Huffing irritably, he reached for it, breathing deep to calm his racing heart.  
  
“He’s not here, please leave.” Kiku straightened the crumpled pages, refusing to look as Gilbert tore around the place, even when his stomping made his book towers wobble.  
  
Really, there wasn’t much space to search. He’d already looked in the closet and Ludwig was way too big to fit under the bed in the first place. He finally gave up, hovering over Kiku curiously.  
  
“Watcha reading?”  
  
“The mole concept,” Kiku replied. “And I would appreciate it if you are silent for a bit. Or if you choose to leave, that would be alright.”  
  
Gilbert gasped dramatically, flopping down on Ludwig’s mattress.  
  
There was a lull in the conversation, which Kiku was grateful for. It gave him time to do a few practise calculations and finish the most tedious chapter on chemical composition and stoichiometry ever written.  
  
“Jeez, kid. When was the last time you ate something? Or showered? Or saw sunlight?”  
  
“I have finals next week.”  
  
“Doesn’t mean you need to torture yourself,” Gilbert paused. Kiku could hear him shifting around in the bed again. And then, “I’m gonna make you some food.”  
  
“There is no food here--only ramen, and I doubt you know anything other than the instant garbage.”  
  
“You’re right about that. But that can’t be all Lutz has been eating. He’s on the football team, he needs protein! He needs carbs! He has a scholarship to maintain!”  
  
“So leave and go buy him carbs,” he muttered.

Oh, how he wished he lived alone. Gilbert had started pacing around the room, muttering about feeding his brother by proxy and hurtful betrayal.  
  
“He bailed on bro’s night, that little shit. I bet he’s out with Feliciano. What is even up with those two?”  
  
Kiku calmly and stealthily put his headphones on and turned the music to the highest volume, trying (and failing...why was Gilbert so goddamn loud?) to drown out the confusion. He couldn’t block out the pacing though, or how Gilbert started pulling on his sleeve. Sighing, he looked up at the man who was slowly becoming the bane of his existence.  
  
“Ugh, you guys don’t even have coffee. What kind of life is this? It’s ridiculous!”

Kiku took off his headphones; obviously this fool wasn’t getting the message.

“You need to take a break. Come buy groceries with me.” Gilbert wrestled Kiku away from his book, though he tried to cling to it. For such a huge and heavy text it made a really shitty anchor. He switched to grasping desperately at his bedsheets. “You’re gonna get burned out at this rate, and then what?”  
  
“No, I need to re-read the concept of molar--”  
  
“At this rate, you won’t even remember what a mole is. Take a break already!” Gilbert yelled, slinging him into a fireman’s carry. “Treat yoself!”  
  
“This is highly inappropriate!” Kiku hit him in the back, again and again. Gilbert only cackled, snatching up keys and ID cards as he headed outside.

Abandoning dignity, Kiku tried bucking and kicking, to no effect. Gilbert’s grip turned to iron. Kiku snarled threats. Gilbert cheerfully told him to try harder. Kiku tried to bite him and ended up with a mouthful of leather, effectively gagging himself. Gilbert laughed all the way down the stairs, mocking him about secret kinks.  
  
Resigned, he dangled limply from Gilbert’s shoulder as he was carried out of the building. No one batted an eye at the student slung indignantly over a grown-ass stranger’s shoulder. The security guard even bid them a good night and waved them off. Kiku was truly done with everything.  


* * *

 

Gilbert finally set him down about a block away from the dorms. Kiku was glad he’d never taken even his sneakers off after class yesterday; the ground was pure muck and dead leaves from earlier rain. Matthew would call it ‘the late autumn aesthetic’ and satirically blog about it. Kiku missed Matthew’s quiet, sardonic wit. He missed hanging out with his actual friends. He mostly missed having sane people around.

Gilbert, who was not one of these people, shrugged off his leather jacket and slung it over Kiku’s shoulders, ruffling his hair for good measure. Kiku scowled but pulled it on anyway. At this hour, outside was chillier than a room with Matthew’s creepy Russian slave boy in it.  
  
“Do you want to tell me why it was necessary to kidnap me tonight, Gilbert?” He ground out, arms crossed.  
  
“You’re so cute when you’re pissed at me,” Gilbert said, grinning like a loon. Kiku sent him a flat look. “Look, you need a break. So, me being my awesome self, I’ve decided to take you out for ice cream. My treat. Then I’ll buy groceries so my brother doesn’t starve.”  
  
Goddamn it. He had him there. Kiku glared, grappled with himself for a full ten seconds, then spun away, marching towards the gelato shop. Gilbert hurried to keep up.

Kiku could feel him reveling in his victory. If the asshole started crowing, swear to god, he would make him swallow his teeth. Of course, this was the time he chose to finally be silent. Kiku pretended not to know him all the way to the shop.

 

* * *

 

  
  
Gelato Empire was run by Feliciano’s brother, Lovino, and Antonio, a man he was very familiar with. It had been like that for years, way back since Lovino’s grandfather took them on as apprentices. No one knew what was going on there, exactly. No one was brave enough to ask. It didn’t affect the ice-cream, which was all anyone really cared about.

So the line to the counter when they went in was no surprise. Best ice cream on campus, and all that. Well, there was also the fact that Lovino stayed open late ‘catering to asshole kids who think a sundae is a good idea at ass o’clock at night.’

Needless to say it was a fast moving line. The gelato was sweet and chill so the owner never had to be.  
  
“What are you doing here, dumbass?” Lovino grunted, squinting at Gilbert, who smiled and shrugged and pointed at Kiku.  
  
Lovino looked Kiku over critically. Kiku tried to give a damn and failed. So his hair was a mess and his face could power Monsters Inc for a year. So sue him. He had raccoon eyes? And weird crease marks from passing out on his keyboard? Whatever. Who cares? All part of the great college experience.  
  
Done with his laser-eyed examination, Lovino put his hands on his hips.

“Finals week, huh?” It wasn’t a question.  
  
Kiku nodded anyway. It seemed like the smart thing to do. He’d always been wary of Feliciano’s less...cheerful sibling.

“What are you doing with him then?” He jerked his chin at Gilbert.

“He kidnapped me.”

Lovino looked doubtful, but not actually concerned.  
  
“Right, sure. One sundae coming up, kid.” Lovino turned and yelled for Antonio in what sounded like several Italian insults.

Kiku was a little bit miffed. He was a real victim here. His grades were in danger! But it seemed he was the only one insulted; Antonio, when he emerged, didn’t seem bothered in the least.

“Please forgive my partner, he is a little high-strung right now.” He passed Kiku his sundae with a peaceful smile. “I will make him good as new later tonight.”

  
Kiku took one slow, thoughtful bite of his sundae and carefully did not ask.  
  
It was so good, the best thing he’d eaten all day, possibly all month. He really didn’t mind that they gave him extra, like some kind of apology for Gilbert. It was a cool, creamy concoction of French vanilla, topped with warm caramel and chocolate chips artistically made into a precious, precious lucky cat. He praised Antonio for remembering what he liked as he sat down at the counter, waiting for Gilbert to make up his mind. The man was paying. It was only polite.

“Don’t you have anything new? Don’t get me wrong, the bubblegum flavour was awesome! But I have a very adventurous palette and ‘guava cheesecake’ is so lame.”

Even if the man himself was not.

“I’ve seen this all before.” Gilbert was also oblivious to Lovino’s steadily darkening face. “These are just recycled flavours from years ago, back when I was a student.”

Kiku eyed the death grip Lovino had on his scoop and scooted his stool a little farther away.

“This is a disappointing assortment--”  
  
“I have one other,” Lovino said, with murderous calm.

He nodded to Antonio, whose blood ran out of his face. Kiku stared, baffled. He’d thought the man biologically incapable of being upset. What was happening? Did they need to run for safety? And then Lovino whipped out some kind of contract.  
  
“What is that?” he asked, watching as Gilbert signed his name on the dotted line immediately without a care.  
  
It reminded him of that one series Ludwig liked to watch, where the two brothers constantly sign their souls away to the devil and cause an apocalypse every season.  
  
“Lovino’s asking me to try a new flavour. The only other person that’s tried it is that weird Russian kid,” Gilbert rubbed his hands together, beaming.  
  
Kiku’s eyes narrowed. That Russian bastard! Wasn’t it enough for him to keep one–upping Kiku for the highest grade, trying to steal his friends and his future Valedictorian position? Must he haunt him here, too, on his enforced break? He fumed quietly, watching as Antonio did the very opposite of his job: trying to talk Gilbert out of trying any ice cream.  
  
“If I try it, we can order for free for a week! So bring it on, Antonio.”  
  
“I do not think this is a wise decision, amigo—”  
  
“Let him eat it, one less bastard to worry about.” There was an eager glint in Lovino’s eyes. This did not bode well.

Kiku finally understood Antonio’s grave warning when he saw the monstrosity they brought out.

In the second place, it was an unattractive muddy brown, hopefully some form of chocolate. In the third place, these downright weird red and green flecks were mixed in liberally. Kiku couldn’t be sure, but they looked like organic plant matter that should never be in ice-cream.

And in the first place, Lovino plunked a huge red chili pepper on top with a flourish.

Kiku hoped Gilbert was a praying man. He was sure divine intervention would be needed very soon.

Gilbert, however, lit up in the face of certain hospitalization.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” He sounded reverent, eyes glued to the pint. “What’s it called?”

“El Infierno,” Antonio said, taking a seat. Kiku felt unsure and deeply unsettled, looking at his somber face. It was so wrong. He turned back to Gilbert making a spectacle of himself, reaching for his cell phone in case an ambulance was needed.

What the hell? Where was his ph--oh. Right. It was still in his room, charging.

Oh no, he was sure to find angry messages from his mother when he got back. She always called him right after the eight o’clock news to check on his studies. He looked back at Gilbert, who was practically salivating at what could only be called a death trap. He wished Ludwig was here to stop this madness.

Lovino loomed over Gilbert like a plane bomber, watching him in morbid anticipation. His face shifted--a grim line to a satisfied baring of teeth--as Gilbert loaded his spoon with gelato and put it in his mouth.

“That’s not so ba--” Gilbert cut himself off, hacking loudly.

They all watched in varying degrees of concern as he turned fire engine red, eyes watering. Watching him was excruciating; Kiku couldn’t imagine putting himself through that for anything but a perfect grade. He ate his own sundae at the same rate in sympathy.

“I warned you,” Antonio said, solemnly handing Gilbert a glass of milk. “But you don’t listen. You never do. And now you face the consequences.”

Smug, Lovino looked on and didn’t lift a finger. Then and there Kiku finally knew the meaning of the word schadenfreude.

Gilbert, being a complete masochist, proceeded to finish the entire pint of gelato, dying at every bite. They watched him suffer through it until Antonio finally glared Lovino into letting up. He grudgingly promised them free gelato for the week. Gilbert set his spoon down with shaking fingers and chugged his third glass of milk. As they headed out Antonio crossed himself and sprinkled salt across the doorway.  
  
Kiku seriously needed Matt back in his life.

 

* * *

 

Gilbert dragged Kiku back to the grocery store near his dorm, ignoring his blotchy face and blistered lips with typical macho bullshitting. Kiku rolled his eyes as he watched him run around and randomly throw food into a shopping cart.

“You like coffee, right?” Gilbert asked, holding up two different canisters of gourmet coffee for Kiku to inspect.

He nodded and tapped the cheaper one, not wanting Gilbert to spend too much at his expense. Why was Gilbert doing this again? He walked behind him as Gilbert piled the trolley high with potatoes and sausages because, “Baby Ludwig needs his protein!”

“We need ramen, and none of the commercialised shit.”

“My Ludwig needs all the protein he can get. He’s a growing boy and you need to respect that instead of plying him with noodles and lettuce.”

“Fruits and vegetables are important too, you know.”

“Sausages are very essential to the diet. He needs to be healthy!”

“Then you’re doing it wrong. This is all carbs,” Kiku tried, but soon gave up as Gilbert, deaf to his words, dashed around to the dairy aisle because calcium was also important to Ludwig’s diet.

Kiku sighed and followed, picking up actual things to make a whole meal. Did Gilbert not know meat needed seasoning? Obviously he had to be the practical one. How regrettable.

Gilbert power walked to the next aisle and grabbed a bottle of orange juice, before dancing off to some mundane pop song. He came back with a whole container of chocolates, still dancing. He asked Kiku to join him. Kiku turned heel and walked away.

As he put space between them, he took up a few items for himself. Mostly things to make proper ramen, because if he had to eat noodles the wrong way one more time he would probably kill Feliciano.

“I don’t know how you put up with him,” an old lady said. She was weighing oranges on the scale. He didn’t know she meant him until she turned and gave him a prompting look.

“Excuse me?”

“Your boyfriend,” she clucked. “With the baby and all, it must be hard. He seems like quite the handful.”

Kiku’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“He’s not--” he stopped, shook his head. He politely nodded at her and then moved to the cereal section, two whole aisles away from the madness. Gilbert must be contagious.

By the time they were done shopping, Gilbert had bought enough food to last them for at least two weeks. Before Kiku could wonder how they would carry it all, Gilbert reached into the jacket (Kiku did not squeak, dammit) and pulled out some large eco-friendly bags. Well that explained the jacket’s bagginess, excuse the pun.

Kiku side-eyed him as they packed everything in.

“Did you plan this?”

“Oh yes, I planned it all,” he nodded exaggeratedly. “My evil plot even destroyed all your food and left one head of hairy garlic to grow wild. It is my evil spy, muahaha.”

Kiku huffed. “Fine. Ok. My apologies. Please don’t insult the mold, it is Feliciano’s adopted child. He will hear you, and he will find you.”

“It’s not that kind of movie, bruv.”

“You must have a lot of time for Netflix.”

Gilbert grinned and threw him a sloppy salute.

When he took the heavier bags Kiku only offered a half-assed protest. Truthfully he wasn’t feeling as strong as he did with regular, filling meals. Also Gilbert deserved the load.

They walked down the street pressed closely together because of the cold. Just the cold. And maybe the fact that Kiku was wearing sweatpants. But nothing else, Kiku couldn’t stand him in a temperature controlled environment. Gilbert’s hand twitched on his shoulder and he looked up to see that his face was slightly flushed. He wondered if the gelato was still affecting him.

Then he wondered out loud how Gilbert could possibly have a hand free.

“I am very strong,” Gilbert said, puffing up like a bird.

“Do you have any pets? A peacock by any chance?”

“I have a Gilbird. He is a small potato.”

“Ah. I thought so.”

“Why?”

“Because studies show that over time, people begin to look and behave like their closest companions.”

It took a second, but then Gilbert got it. He pouted. It was not cute. Not at all.

“You’re so cruel to me. I think we’ll need that lady’s card after all.”

“What lady?”

“The old lady? With the oranges and cat food? She gave me a couples’ therapy card and offered to watch Ludwig. Is this your idea of a date?”

“What? No.”

“What did you say to her? She said we were ‘a nice modern couple’. And that my hair was inspiring. She wants to dye hers purple. I don’t think she knows I have albinism.” He squinted at the sky thoughtfully. “Actually, I think she was hitting on me for you.”

Kiku scowled. “Give me the damn card.”

“I don’t think so,” Gilbert said, grinning. “We need to work on our communication. Say please.”

“Please or I’ll kick you in the shin.”

Gilbert ran off cackling. He only paused to deposit his bags on a nearby bench. Kiku huffed, sat, and glared at the direction he went until he came back.

“Apology coffee,” Gilbert said, holding out a large styrofoam cup.

That was all he needed to hear. He drank his coffee as they started walking again in silence (french vanilla; Gilbert wasn’t completely oblivious after all). He felt better immediately. The world felt real again. His headache receded. He no longer wanted to climb into the sink and die and be reincarnated as part of the garlic mold colony. He stared thoughtfully into his half-empty cup. He’d needed this more than he thought.

“So maybe you aren’t a complete idiot,” he grudgingly said.

Gilbert beamed. “There’s the Kiku I know and love!”

Kiku eyeballed him archly as he went wide-eyed, choked on nothing and started stammering, trying to backtrack on what he said. He sipped his coffee, realising that Gilbert wasn’t just a dork, but an utterly ridiculous one. Finally, when he was pink in the face, Gilbert tried to change the subject completely.

“So how is school?”

Kiku’s good mood vanished.

“I don’t know, how’s it like living in your parents’ basement?” he snapped.

Gilbert flinched and turned away, hunching his shoulders. But Kiku had already seen the wounded look in his eyes. He scowled. He didn’t like being an asshole, not even to Gilbert. Now that he’d had some caffeine, Kiku could think about things rationally. Gilbert was actually pretty decent. Maybe he was being too harsh on him.

Biting his lip, Kiku edged closer. Their sides brushed together every time they moved forward. It sort of tingled. Gilbert peeked at him hopefully.

“Let’s not talk about unpleasant things, ok?” Kiku offered.

“Ok.” Gilbert’s answering smile was subdued but real. “So what else is taboo with you right now, your highness?”

“Don’t ask for my age or my bra size,” Kiku said dryly. “Stop dissing ramen, it’s the food of my people. And I forbid you from talking about your brother all the time.”

“Well how else am I gonna find out how he’s doing? He won’t talk to me, he won’t bond with me--whenever I call lately he puts you on the phone to say he’s not there. You dirty liar! Why would you do that?”

Kiku shrugged. “He pays me. I guess you’ll just have to give me a better incentive.”

He picked up his pace as his dorm came into sight, hiding his grin at Gilbert’s spluttering.

 

* * *

 

 

When they got back to the apartment, Gilbert proclaimed that he was going to make Kiku some ramen, pulling up a recipe from the internet. Protesting would be futile, Kiku knew. He would be better off arguing with a brick wall. So instead he sat on his bed and checked his phone.

Oh no.

Ten missed calls – mother.

Oh shit.

He immediately called her back, trying to explain over her frantic questions that he only took a short break to eat something. She didn’t believe him, of course. She proceeded to yell at him in rapid-fire Japanese. Because English just wasn’t enough sometimes.

By the time her tirade was done, Kiku felt like the worst child in the world. He flopped back onto his bed, rolled until he was curled around his pillow, and closed his eyes, trying his best to regulate his breathing. He felt like throwing up. His skin was too tight, prickling.

Oh god, he could not have a breakdown the day before exams. He would be his mother’s biggest disappointment. He hadn’t felt this awful since college applications; his heart was trying to beat right out of his chest and his head was spinning madly. He choked down a wet sound, gasping for air.

The next thing he knew, he was being handed a glass of water. Gilbert was kneeling in front of him with big, worried eyes. Just great. Shit, his head felt like it was splitting open. Gilbert pressed the glass into his hands.

“Thank you,” he whispered, bringing the glass to his mouth with both hands. They were shaking; glass gently knocked against his teeth. The water was blissfully cool.

“The ramen burned,” Gilbert said, hushed. “Sorry.”

“That’s okay.”

“Are you? Okay, I mean.”

Was he? He sort of blacked out there for a while. His chest still hurt and he felt a little woozy, not to mention achingly embarrassed. Gilbert was there the whole time. He saw all that.

He nodded anyway, slowly drinking the water and slowly evening out his breathing. He felt gross with sweat cooling on his skin. Pointedly ignoring Gilbert’s stare, he got up to check on his kitchen. His legs were rubbery.

Feliciano’s favorite pot was now burnt on the inside, the noodles stuck to the side of it, blackened beyond recognition. It was a sad affair.

“And this is why wurst is better,” Gilbert said, grinning at his stupid pun.

Kiku was not amused. He took the pot off the stove and filled it with warm water and detergent. Maybe he could save it before Feliciano got back and started bawling over his family heirloom.

“How did you manage to burn it this much?”

“You called for me.”

“Oh. Right.”

Kiku went to sit on the couch. He didn’t remember calling for anyone. This was getting bad.

Gilbert stood in front of him. He ran a hand through his hair before taking a seat.

“You know you’ll do well on the finals, right? You’re crazy smart,” he said.

Kiku looked at him, lips stretching into a slight smile.

“Thanks, Gilbert. You’re not so bad yourself.”

They sat there for some time, mostly silent, until Kiku picked up some paper and started folding origami figures. It was soothing. His hands lost their clumsiness; his heart slowed down, steadied. His breathing eased. Gilbert watched and copied, making a decent star and writing something on it, before reaching over and sticking it into his jacket pocket. Kiku actually felt relaxed enough now to start falling asleep, half slumped on Gilbert.

“Maybe I should go. It’s getting late.” Contrary to his words, Gilbert only lifted his arm and settled it around Kiku’s shoulder.

“Right, maybe.” Kiku leaned in, snuggling closer. Gilbert was very warm and very comfortable. He soon fell into blissful unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

 

When he woke up, it was to baffled yelling from Ludwig, who had returned some time with Feliciano in tow. Kiku followed the noise right into the kitchen. The brothers were making a huge breakfast, enough for everyone. Feliciano sat at the table hugging his pot, pouting and glaring at Gilbert. Kiku sat next to him, patting him on the arm.

“Never mind me, where were you the whole night?”

“Star Wars,” Ludwig said. “All of them. With Alfred.”

“Acceptable,” Gilbert replied, before setting a plate of sausages and eggs in front of Kiku.

Ludwig sat between them, sending suspicious glances at Kiku and his brother, though he looked down every time Kiku caught him. Feliciano ate quietly for once, still clutching the pot.

Over breakfast, Ludwig and Gilbert talked about planning a proper brother bonding day, after exams and with fair warning, like a normal person. Feliciano eventually forgave Gilbert...but only after he scrubbed the pot clean and showed him the amount of pasta he bought.

After, they headed for the shower one by one. Gilbert took his turn last while Feliciano joined Kiku on the couch, going over notes for the chemistry exam and making sure they had the room and time right. Ludwig went on tumblr to ‘check on the latest memes’, proclaiming loudly that his finals were still three days away. Kiku scowled and told him to put on headphones if he was going to be watching vines.

By the time Kiku and Feliciano were done with prep, Gilbert had managed to coax Ludwig away from his computer. They were already at each other’s throats over Mario Kart. Kiku followed Feliciano outside, grabbing Gilbert’s jacket as he called, “It’s cold in the exam room and I don’t have time to dig for my own, Gilbert.” He shrugged as the brothers grunted and went right back to yelling and elbowing each other.

They walked out of the apartment, Feliciano ahead of him muttering about never allowing Gilbert to make pasta soup again for fear of his pot being permanently burnt. Kiku stuck his hands in the jacket to warm them. His fingers brushed the edges of folded paper in the pocket.

Curious, he pulled it out. ‘It’ being the origami star Gilbert made and hid away the night before. On one corner his name stood out in bold, perfect cursive. Gilbert’s handwriting was leagues better than Feliciano’s. Was it a message for him? He opened it to see what was folded under.

It turned out his name was only half the note.

_Mr. Kiku Honda_  
_+_  
_Mrs. Gilbert Honda_

  
Oh...there were hearts all over it.

 

Oh.

 

Well, this was unexpected.

 

Suddenly, Gilbert came sprinting towards them, skidding to a stop right in front of Kiku. His eyes went wide when he saw the open paper in his hand.

“It’s not what you think,” he blurted, rubbing the back of his neck. “I-- I didn’t want you to see that.”

 

Kiku refolded the star and silently handed it over. Gilbert’s face flamed red. Kiku stared at him, but after he still wouldn’t meet his eye, he moved closer, grabbing his hand.

 

Finally he looked up. Their eyes met, caught; everything else faded away to a buzzing intensity. Anticipation flooded Kiku’s body with restless heat, dancing up his spine and over his suddenly hypersensitive skin. Gilbert’s throat clicked as he swallowed.

For a second Kiku wondered if he was having another panic attack, his heart was beating so wild. He licked his lips, heart stuttering as Gilbert’s gaze zeroed in on the motion. His lips tingled like Gilbert was the one who--oh. Ok then. He reached up, gripped the back of Gilbert’s neck, and tugged his head down.

Their lips brushed together, dry and soft and sweet, so sweet, tender enough to make his racing heart hurt. Goddammit, why hadn’t he done this before? Why hadn’t he noticed before? This was really nice, really just so...it...warm…

Gilbert’s lips slowly stretched into a smile against his. He smiled along helplessly. Gilbert’s other hand came up to cradle his face. His thumb brushed fondly against Kiku’s cheek and that was it. The end. Kiku absolutely melted. Just like that. He was the sappiest stick of butter in the world.

 

“Ahem.”

 

They jerked to awareness. Turning, they discovered Feliciano standing there, grinning like a dope at them. Gilbert cleared his throat, embarrassed. Kiku ducked his head slightly.

 

“Aw, look,” Feliciano said, pointing. They did.

 

There was a cheerful sprig of mistletoe taped to the ceiling directly over them. Someone clearly couldn’t wait for Christmas. Gilbert’s loud, surprised laugh echoed down the hall. Pressed against him, Kiku felt it vibrate through his chest right down to his toes. That was nice too.

 

“As sweet as this is,” Feliciano broke in, “we still have a test to get to.”

 

“Right,” Gilbert said, releasing Kiku’s hand with a soft squeeze.

Feliciano moved a little ahead, giving them some space. They took a minute to reluctantly separate, like impossibly tangled Christmas lights.

 

“I take it this means you like me too?” Gilbert asked, beaming. Cocky bastard.

Kiku looked up at him, and couldn’t help but to smile, too.

“Yes, but you still have to find an incentive if you want dirt on your brother.”

 

_FIN_


End file.
